Poketopia Endurance Championship
by 122 Generation
Summary: Sometimes the greatest challenge is not enduring long battles, but also if the body and spirit can fight for just as long: the most demanding challenge presented by Poketopia. Ever. I am now accepting 8 OCs maximum for each class! Please PM them to me!
1. Youngest Double Champion

**I'd like to note that the book cover is the main character.**

* * *

_**Chapter one: Youngest Double Pokétopia Champion**_

"Once again, everyone who's just listening or just arriving, I'd like to welcome Trainers around the world to the Pokétopia Endurance Championship," Colosseum Master Joe read out from a speech. "Here, Pokémon Trainers will be facing a series of matches occurring in each of our ten world-class Colosseums, but there will be given a short timeframe to complete the championship: two weeks, in fact. Also, the idea is that from the moment the challenge begins, you will be given a whole session to complete as many battles as you can, but no extensive breaks between battles, including complete restoration of Pokémon, will be allowed to uphold the idea of endurance. However, you will be allowed a 5-minute break after half an hour has passed, and you may only take a break only at this time."

Joe was standing on the centre of the Gateway Colosseum, where crowds on the stands far away listening and watching, and where it stood on the waters in front of the Pokétopia megalopolis. Bright buildings lit up the skies above.

"This year, Joe continued, "Pokétopia Authority has decided to separate the championship into unique classes: first, the benchmark class which holds Pokétopia's proud history is the Battle Class! Second is the newly formed Contest Class, and so, if you win, you will rightfully claim the titles of Pokétopia Endurance Champion or Pokétopia Endurance Contest Champion! For such harsh feats, podium finishes will be acknowledged too!"

Distant but loud cheering was audible throughout the borders of Pokétopia and everywhere.

"How the scoring system will work is that scores are point-based and kept track by judges at each Colosseum," Joe continued to explain, "and basically to win the title means you have to score points in every Colosseum. For the Battle Class, points will be awarded by performance, time, how many Pokémon were knocked out, and how long your team can last to the end. Of course, any circumstance like the move Explosion will fall under the Pokétopia regulations and will be reviewed. For the Contest Class, Pokétopia will be using the same scoring system as established and used by the International Contest Federation and Pokémon Activities Committee. A select judge will be judging alongside the regular judges, and as well as the Colosseum Leader."

Joe took a deep breath, and then added the final words of the speech. "Competitors must compete for points in a given order of Colosseums anyway, since only a handful of them will be open and closed over the next 14 days, and they will only be open at certain times. Plan wisely, and manage your time well! Above all, be consistent: because these endurance battles will put your Pokémon, body, mind, and spirit to the test!"

* * *

"It's been a while since I've had a challenge. I'm going to enjoy this!"

Much further away, at a very peaceful residential bloc called Sunset Village, which overlooked the spectacular view of Sunset Bay (but without Sunset Colosseum…), a little 12 year old girl was watching the Pokétopia broadcast from her private two-storey home in the village. The girl was in fact Maria Lougheed: the Trainer almost everyone in Pokétopia had heard about.

The reason? It's because Maria unexpectedly took the title of Pokétopia Master during one Pokétopia Championship season when she was only 9 – an astonishingly young age. Maria also caused a number of shocks two years later: at 11 years old she took the tile again, and recorded three class wins in that year's Masters Class Series.

Needless to say, the other four classes were out of Maria's performance.

Now sitting drowsily on the low sofa, Maria could only reflect on her accolades: 12 years old, and she had two championship titles and three Masters class wins to her name. For her achievements at such a young age, Pokétopia invited her to be a special contest judge in the Endurance Championship, and along with that giving her the title of Master Senior.

_In short, I'm pulling off double duty with the contests and battles…_

She didn't need to remind herself that she was in Battle Class too.

Maria was dressed in the trademark products of Pokétopia: a teal headband with a white Pokétopia logo on the side neatly pulled some her brown neck-length hair back, as if the hair in front was neatly combed. If not for the headband, her hair would fall to her shoulders.

Two distinctive Pokétopia items were her choice of clothes as well: a black-and-silver sleeveless dress with two silver designs on the sides similar to the Pokétopia logo, the Pokétopia logo itself emblazoned on front and centre in silver; and black-and-silver pants with the same silver designs of the Pokétopia logo. A Pokétopia gold badge, a little memorabilia from taking the Pokétopia Master title, was pinned on Maria's left, where a typical badge would go. Not to mention shoes that covered her ankles and added two inches to her height and these were definitely _**not**_ heels.

And, of course, black-and-white fingerless gloves.

These were the same clothes that Maria wore when she took her three class wins in the Masters Class Series. Come to that, she bought them the night she was crowned Pokétopia Master for the first time. In short, these were the same clothes she wore when she took the title the second time.

"You're going to need a lot of time on your hands," her cousin said. "Especially when you're going to pull off double duty."

"Hey," Maria countered, "you're battling too."

Leon Pinetree, Maria's older cousin, stood making breakfast in the kitchen. Since they were well away from home (that is, the City of LaRousse in the Hoenn region) and in Pokétopia, Leon ultimately became Maria's unofficial guardian while they were at the resort. Nevertheless, they had a lot of freedom to move while they were in Pokétopia.

Despite Leon being older and much taller than Maria, Leon held the rank of Major Trainer (whereas his little cousin held the hard-earned title of Master Senior).

But, Leon was the more handsome nonetheless. Girls go wild for him! (Maria would never understand why).

"I'm making omelettes to start off the day," Leon said as he served them on a plate. "They're not made from a Pokémon Egg, I assure you. They're too big."

Maria smirked and took her seat near the panoramic window, which viewed the shoreline of Sunset Bay. Sometimes, Maria wished she could live here as much and as long as wanted, but she still had her original home in LaRousse. After all, Pokétopia was just a battle theme resort, despite Maria's prestige.

"And here's your breakfast, Maria, with pepper," Leon passed a steaming plate right under Maria's nose. The smell of fresh cooking wafted through the air.

"Thanks, Leon, you're the best," Maria grinned. She picked up her fork, and began to eat and at the same time viewed a PEC (Pokétopia Endurance Championship) timetable with her free hand.

**Pokétopia Endurance Championship (PEC)**

**Each session will be score-based, and championship titles and podiums will be awarded to challengers who finish the championship in the top three scores.**

**Colosseums will be open for a certain number of days, and for a certain amount of time before closing by the Colosseum Leader or Master. Participants who fail to attend the designated session will not be awarded championship points, but are still eligible to attend any future session in the season.**

**Points will be awarded based on performance, length of battle, and endurance. At the end of the match, the appropriate amount of points will be awarded to the winning and losing side, and the defeated may continue with a half-restored team until his/her hour is complete.**

**Any occasional circumstance in the match, including double knockout and the use of the moves Selfdestruct and Explosion will fall under the jurisdiction of Pokétopia Authority and match judges to be reviewed.**

**Each Colosseum will host two sessions per given day, and therefore; will host up to four sessions over two days, and during a specific time as listed. Also, some Colosseums will have established their own special rules for competing at the venue, and the challenger must abide by those rules.**

_**Days 1-2**_**:**

**Gateway Colosseum:**** twilight to midnight**

**Session 1: Battle Class**

**Session 2: Contest Class**

**Main Street Colosseum:**** morning to midnight**

**Session 1: Contest Class**

**Session 2: Battle Class**

_**Days 3-4**_**:**

**Waterfall Colosseum:**** morning to twilight**

**Session 1: Battle Class**

**Session 2: Contest Class**

_**Days 5-6:**_

**Neon Colosseum:**** twilight to midnight**

**Session 1: Contest Class**

**Session 2: Battle Class Fortune Battle**

**Crystal Colosseum:**** morning to twilight**

**Session 1: Battle Class**

**Session 2: Contest Class**

_**Days 7-8:**_

**Sunny Park Colosseum:**** morning to twilight**

**Session 1: Contest Class**

**Session 2: Battle Class**

**Magma Colosseum:**** morning to twilight**

**Session 1: Battle Class**

**Session 2: Contest Class**

_**Days 9-10:**_

**Sunset Colosseum:**** twilight to midnight**

**Session 1: Battle Class**

**Session 2: Contest Class**

_**Day 11:**_

**Courtyard Colosseum:**** midday to morning**

***note: a session in Courtyard Colosseum will occupy an entire day, so only one of each session will be present per day!**

**Session: Contest Class Endurance**

_**Day 12:**_

**Courtyard Colosseum:**** midday to morning**

**Session: Battle Class Survival Battle**

_**Day 13:**_

**No Colosseums open except for practice sessions at Lagoon Colosseum. This day is used for transition in preparation for the Endurance Championship finals.**

_**Days 14-15:**_

**Stargazer Colosseum:**** midnight to morning**

**Session 1: Contest Class Finale**

**Session 2: Battle Class Finale**

_**Day 16:**_

**Closing ceremony at Stargazer Colosseum.**

**Pokétopia Endurance Championship participants/challengers are encouraged to attend all appropriate sessions when possible in order to increase the likelihood of better championship standing.**

It was a long read. Maria continued to munch on her breakfast as she took in the information. Leon on the other hand began to serve a breakfast for himself to eat.

"Anna made a call here just an hour ago," Leon reminded his cousin. "You know, Anna the receptionist. She's reminding you that you're judging the Main Street Colosseum contest tomorrow, and you're expected to meet with the judges today and prepare how ruling will turn out."

Maria sighed. She knew that as a Battle Class participant and as a Contest Class judge she had a massive time constraint in her hands. It would mean early registration into Colosseums and miraculous arrangements. Although there was more than enough leftover room on the entry list, and lots more in the Colosseums, that did nothing to help the time situation.

Specifically, she was obligated to attend every Contest Class session, but as a participant in the Battle Class she had to make proper arrangements to attend at one Battle Class Session at each Colosseum. She could skip, but that would mean missing out on scoring valuable points!

Courtyard Colosseum was the worst thing on her mind.

The thing that made Courtyard Colosseum different was that it worked under survival rules, where challengers would have to battle and contest for hours and hours until they collapsed, with the exception of a guaranteed 5-minute break every half hour. Because of this, the survival battles marked the pinnacle of the Endurance Championship, and the most amount of points would be scored here.

Maria had to judge a contest there for well over twelve hours. After Sunset Colosseum (she figured), she would have an entire morning to get ready for judging a contest from midday (day 11) to the next morning (day 12). On the same day (day 12), she would have to get enough rest from midday again to prepare for the Survival Battle, and that could last over twelve hours. Fortunately, she could still take a day to rest before heading to Stargazer Colosseum the following night.

She was glad that Pokétopia had managed the time brilliantly. In the first place, the plan was that the Stargazer Colosseum sessions would be pushed back a day, but that would mean overlapping the times for Courtyard Colosseum, and Pokétopia Authority wasn't prepared to risk the well-being of the judges for the finale. Maria alone would have suffered a lot more based on time, and now the thirteenth day would allow her to catch her breath.

"What's your plan for the day, anyway?" Leon asked.

Maria had gotten up to put on her favourite Pokémon Trainer's bag and wrapped it around her waist, while saying, "I'll have to go to Main Street anyway to prepare for the first session tomorrow. I guess I'll take a look around the metropolis while I'm there."

"Finished your breakfast already, eh?" Leon grinned. "Have a great day, and come back by sunset too. You _don't_ want to sleep in tomorrow."

Maria grinned and went for the door of the private two-storey home. Leon Pinetree smiled again and began to wash the dishes.

There were, essentially, only two ways to get around Pokétopia: by foot, or by rail. Since one of Maria's earned Battle Passes featured an ocean blue Pokétopia train, she figured it was most logical that this was the main method of transport. It was ideal too.

As Maria walked out of her place of residence, she could reflect by looking at her Battle Pass. Besides showing her portrait and her team of five Pokémon (a sixth one would be considered later if Maria felt like it), it also was a design showing the Sunset Colosseum and, of course, Sunset Bay. The pass design alone was also what one would describe extremely difficult to earn.

During the Pokétopia Championship, participants weren't allowed to use their own Pokémon and had to select from 16 loaned Pokémon. It was no easy task, since the Pokémon would be usually be flattened by Leader Dusty at the end.

The Master Senior began to walk to the nearest rail station near Sunset Village. A year or two earlier, Pokétopia Authority used their profits to fund and construct a rail system around Pokétopia for efficient transport, where stations were posted in every key area on the resort.

Thus, the Pokétopia Transport Rail Corporation, or PTR, was founded.

For Maria and every other challenger, a ticket was not necessary because use of PTR was guaranteed through a Battle Pass.

For PTR, the line ran in two directions: clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Since the transport engineers and mechanics were extremely lazy, they gave the names of the lines the Clockwise Line and the Counter-Clockwise Line. The names stuck. Before Pokétopia could be open to any suggestions for naming the lines, the public had gotten used to 'clockwise' and 'counter-clockwise' from first opening.

She walked past the other houses and villas in Sunset Village, walked for a little while on a paved road with trees on the sides, and finally to the junction that connected Sunset Colosseum with Sunset Village and the neighbouring roads. Needless to say the Stargazer Colosseum was clearly visible at the top of the mountain above.

200 yards away from Sunset Village, and 100 metres away from Sunset Colosseum, Maria arrived at the PTR Sunset Colosseum Station. Because Sunset Bay had a rich forest environment around it, Pokétopia Authority and PTR thought it best to preserve the environment and strategically build Sunset Village, and the PTR rail, well away from the bay. Plus, it would look better!

Maria made sure she had her Poké Balls in her bag and entered the station. A quick scan with her Battle Pass was all she needed to gain entry into the station. It was fortunate that the rail here was built on ground level, so there was no need for stairs or escalators.

Soon enough, she was standing on the Sunset Colosseum Station platform and waiting for the Counter-Clockwise PTR train that would take her to Main Street.

_And here…_ Maria thought as the crescendo of the high-speed train arrived. _My adventure begins. Honestly! I wonder how much of this – endurance – could anyone handle?_

"_The Counter-Clockwise Train is arriving_," an automated voice said, spoken from intercoms above. "_Please let passengers exit first_."

There were no passengers ready to leave in the PTR train, and as far as Maria could see it was near empty. Simply, she waited for the doors to slide open, took a comfortable seat, and waited for the Counter-Clockwise line to take her to Main Street.

* * *

**I will start accepting OCs when the second chapter is uploaded, and by then I will explain how to accept them. Until then, stay tuned!**

******I might have to warn that this chapter may seem boring, but mostly because it's going to be a timeline which I will build future chapters on, and it fills out several short details.**


	2. Morning Rush with Symphony

**Here is chapter two, as promised!**

**Now, I should mention that Symphony and her Pokemon are the property of thesecretkeeper11 and are used with permission. I should give credit to the mentioned author, because I based off this endurance championship from 'Poketopia Tournament', which is written by thesecretkeeper11.**

* * *

_**Chapter two: Morning Rush with Symphony**_

The PTR Counter-Clockwise line, which had bypassed Courtyard Colosseum on the way, slowed to a stop at Main Street station, and in the heart of the Pokétopia metropolis. Maria Lougheed stepped off the subway and out into the bright Main Street with trademark Pokétopia buildings decorating the skyline above.

Cafés, shops, and commercial buildings occupied every sight on the street, with the exception of an archive library and, of course, the unmistakable Pokétopia Main Street Colosseum just two blocks away. While people were allowed to look at the Colosseum from a distance, Pokétopia Authority just wouldn't allow anyone near the colosseum in preparation for the Pokétopia Endurance Championship.

"It's a beautiful day, granted," Maria said as she looked into the clear blue sky above. Indeed, the sky and some clouds reflected their brilliance off the glass of the Pokétopia buildings! After Maria had finished with her minute sightseeing, she began walking through the street.

Come to that, because of her prestige, many bystanders shot curious glances at her as Maria walked. Like, come on, it wasn't every day that the double Pokétopia champion would be walking about. She looked so casual with those silver-and-black Pokétopia clothes on, and she continued to walk past the city blocks undisturbed.

Then again, Maria was only 12! What was the harm in walking around? In some sense, she was a celebrity, but she never acted like one, and Maria was perfectly fine with that.

The only thing every Pokétopia fan knew as far as Maria's popularity was concerned was that Maria had a favourite café west of the Main Street Colosseum. Indeed, that was where the current Master Senior was headed, and she had just walked past the door.

Loud talking was what was going on past the door.

"Hello," Maria said. "It's never been this busy!"

Her favourite café was overwhelmed with the unmistakable sight and sound of constant business. Almost every glass-and-metal table, let alone the seats, Maria could see was occupied by Trainers, coordinators, fans, Pokétopia staff, and more…

Whenever there was someone who had gotten up to leave, someone else would rush to take that seat in the next second. Despite being a double Pokétopia champion and recording three Masters Class wins to her name, Maria knew that it would be a miracle to find a seat.

Let alone the miracle of passing a long lineup just to get a hot drink _and then_ finding a seat.

Of course there would _those_ people who would reserve seats for their friends, but since Leon (Maria's cousin, remember?) wasn't here and Maria's friends were clearly not in Pokétopia, finding a seat was near impossible.

"Yo! I really need a seat. Right. Now!" a frustrated voice erupted from within the café's already busy atmosphere. "I've got a hot tea in my hands and it has to go somewhere cool!"

"Lass, we're all suffering in here…" a man beside the partly outraged voice. "You need to take it slow. Don't get too attached to things, young lady. Learn to let go."

And then the man received an annoyed stare so intense that he immediately got up and abandoned his seat. At the same time, the man's friend who looked more relieved to leave than most also got up and grabbed his coffee on the way out.

So the girl took the now-empty seat before anyone else had the chance to.

_Now or never_, Maria thought.

"Excuse me?" the Pokétopia champ the intimidating girl politely. "Is anyone else sitting here?"

But Maria was wrong at the intimidation part.

"Oh, not at all! Have a seat!" was the cheerful reply from the girl, and it was very cheerful.

Grateful, Maria took the chair opposite from the girl and took in her appearance. While Maria was 12, the girl across looked no older than 15. Messy blonde hair, with thick bangs covering the left eyebrow, was in a ponytail as opposed to Maria's brown which was neatly held with a teal Pokétopia headband. The black-and-silver Pokétopia dress Maria wore didn't contrast much with the girl's black jacket and purple minidress, but it was style. Where Maria wore black-and-silver pants that matched the design on her dress, this girl opted to wear gray-coloured short shorts.

"I'm Maria," the blue-eyed Trainer extended a hand to the purple-eyed Trainer.

"Symphony," she replied, and gladly shook Maria's hand.

Despite that short anger outburst from earlier, Maria was somewhat surprised at how pleasant this Trainer was. Plus, it seemed like Symphony had changed her personality in an instant! She was all serious about getting a hot drink somewhere, and now she seemed like a different person! This was Maria's opinion, but she had to ask.

"Did you really need to sit down that badly?" Maria couldn't help but laugh. ""Not that it's serious, but I think half the café at least could have heard your voice."

"Nah, that was just a pretext I made up to get a seat here," Symphony smiled. "I'll admit that my drink is hot to the touch nonetheless. Speaking of which, Maria, you ought to get something here too while you still have a seat. I can save yours."

Maria's face brightened, but it gradually faded over eight minutes when she lined up at the back of the queue.

* * *

And eight minutes later, Maria had a cup of hot tea in her hands made with grinded Nomel berry and, in addition, a hot berry muffin as well. She set the contents on the table and Symphony, who flashed a smile, had kept her seat reserved as promised.

"Anyway, Symphony, what are you doing in Pokétopia?" Maria said and began to tear apart her muffin. "I'm guessing you're in for the Endurance Championship."

"What else?" Symphony said as if it were obvious. "Back at my home in Goldenrod City, I've heard of incredible feats done by Trainers in the Pokétopia Championship season! (Maria shifted nervously at this) By then, I was dreaming of competing at Pokétopia! Speaking of, are you in the Endurance Championship too?"

"You got it," Maria replied.

The atmosphere continued to buzz loudly with numerous conversations like swarms of Yanmas. With little to do besides talking, the two Trainers agreed to exchange and view each other's Battle Pass. For Maria, she noted Symphony opted to use a shiny Pearl Wave design (which Maria recognised as one of the elite designs earned when battling at Courtyard Colosseum. Maria herself had seen it at Courtyard Colosseum, but refused to put in the effort to earn it). If anything, Symphony was a good Trainer.

Why, even the team looked incredibly formidable! If Maria really wanted to, she could have uploaded the Battle Pass to a nearby computer to view details of Symphony's team, but it wasn't worth it. Not when it was hard enough to find a seat in the café.

Instead, Maria and Symphony continued their conversation.

"Which Pokémon is your favourite? Mind if I ask?" Maria said.

Symphony appeared pleased, as the emotion was reflected in her purple eyes. "I've a really cute Minccino named Colette: she's been my battling companion, and my friend, in almost everywhere I've been. Between you and me, Maria, lots of Trainers I've faced underestimate her because of her size and moveset, but she's got a powerful heart to match!"

Maria grinned. "In the Endurance Championship, you're going to need a lot more than firepower to keep you going. That's great to hear how close you are to your Colette."

Symphony put down her hot drink and looked at Maria for a few seconds.

"That reminds me," Symphony said. "Who's your closest Pokémon, since you've asked me?"

Maria gave back the Pearl Wave Battle Pass and exchanged it for her own pass with the Sunset Colosseum design.

"It's my Gardevoir," she answered. "My long-time companion since I started the Pokétopia Championship three years ago when she was still a Kirlia –"

But a loud commotion prevented Maria from talking any more.

"Maria!" a voice shouted.

"Ms. Maria! What's your opinion on how the Endurance Championship will turn out?"

Dozens of news and press reporters poured into the café, much to the annoyance of the café staff. However, these reporters were in fact not employed by Pokétopia but rather came from other regions. Maria, like everyone who participated here, had no obligation to answer them.

"How do you think the challengers will handle the endurance ahead?"

"Could you, double Pokétopia champion, lose the title despite your prestige?"

But Maria, ignoring the reporters, quickly stood up with an annoyed expression. Turning to Symphony, she softly said, "Want to go to Main Street Colosseum?"

The older Trainer of the two downed the last contents of her drink and nodded. Maria alone finished her muffin in silence and the duo walked out of the café in a hurry. The foreign reporters were unable to catch up because of the crowded atmosphere in the café! They tried to move forward, but they were yelled at by other customers for taking wanted seats.

In short, Maria and Symphony had disappeared!

* * *

Outside, the said Trainers were walking through the much quieter atmosphere on Main Street. The café normally was a lively place, but it turned out to be _too_ lively for this particular day. Looking back, Symphony was glad she had left the café. Those foreign reporters were causing a blockage at the entrance and were making it hard for just about everyone to enter the café to get a coffee.

"But you know, Maria, why did those reporters come for you, anyway?" the 15-year old asked, but before an answer came her eyes widened. "They said 'double Pokétopia champion'… wait! You're Maria Lougheed… the youngest Trainer to have won two championship titles!"

But Maria held up a hand as a polite gesture for silence, in which Symphony calmed down.

"It's nothing too special," Maria said innocently. "I like to be modest, so I don't talk about it much in public unless I really felt like it. If you think that I'll look down on you because you haven't been in a championship season which I can tell you haven't yet, consider yourself wrong!"

Symphony relaxed and then changed the topic as they walked past the archive library and further eastward onr Main Street. At this point, the large plaza that hosted Main Street Colosseum, and massive Pachirisu and Bidoof balloons, was in sight from the distance.

"But those reporters have a point, though," the young girl said. "What kinds of challengers and participants are we expecting to fight?"

Maria held a small smile as they walked, but she was semi-deep in thought. "They'd have to be really consistent teams. Just having a lot of firepower, like we said earlier, won't cut it for endurance. Besides, you and I know Pokétopia Authority's going to regulate and limit the strength of all Pokémon too to ensure equal fighting chances. A team is more than strength."

Symphony figured it out. Her Colette and Maria's Gardevoir were testaments to that.

"You're talking about the hearts and spirits of Pokémon and Trainers," she said.

"Exactly."

Maria and Symphony, as they walked ever closer to the colosseum, were left to wonder exactly what kinds of Pokémon and Trainers they would meet in the Pokétopia Endurance Championship. Like Maria said, a team is more than strength.

* * *

**OCs are now open!**

**Rules:**

**Now, to start, I will accept OCs by PM ONLY and NEVER BY REVIEW. If you are a guest reader, review, but I will moderate and remove the review afterward. But feel free to review the chapter itself if you like.**

**It is pointless to mention the level of the Pokémon of the Trainer because, according to Poketopia and the game, the stats will be reduced or increased to level 50. Feel free to add not-so-powerful Pokémon to the team. In endurance, a Bulbasaur could defeat a Rhyperior easy or even an Emboar! The only Pokémon I do not encourage is Magikarp or Feebas.**

**And, obviously, legendary Pokémon are not acceptable.**

**Furthermore, a team built with nearly all attack moves is less likely to survive the Endurance Championship. No items may be held.**

**The basic OC form as established by thesecretkeeper11:**

**Name: (first and last name)**

**Gender: (male or female)**

**Age: (between 9 to 28, where I will assume )**

**Personality: being descriptive here allows me to limit how far I can go to use your character (examples: romantic, friendly, not-so-friendly, etc.)**

**Region/Hometown: (must be real)**

**Class: choose between Battle Class (Trainer) or Contest Class (Coordinator). I can guess that most of you will opt for Battle Class, so if there isn't at least one submission for Contest Class from all readers, this story will not continue!**

**Hair: (colour)**

**Eyes: (colour)**

**Outfit: be reasonably descriptive: basics are tops (sweaters and shirts, etc.), bottom (jeans, etc.), and shoes. Headwear, glasses, gloves, and bags are optional, but encouraged. Be creative, but keep it simple!**

**Battle Pass Design: choose one from Ball Mosaic Red, Ball Mosaic Aqua, Ball Mosaic Sepia, Stream Blue, Stream Pink, Stream Green, Star Green, Star Yellow, Star Pink, Plus Minus, Light Pastel, Shiny Cobalt, Diamond Dust, Pearl Wave, Poketopia Gold, Poketopia Silver.**

**Note that I reserve the right to switch one of your Pokemon should you opt for Poketopia Gold or Silver.**

**Pokémon Team: 6 Pokémon is strongly encouraged to withstand the Endurance Championship.**

**Pokémon name:**

**Nickname: (optional)**

**Nature:**

**Ability:**

**Moveset: (include status moves to increase chances of surviving, but not too much that it will backfire on you. This doesn't mean all Pokémon have to have a status move!).**

**There you have it! The OC form similar to thesecretkeeper11's. Send the form by PM only and not be review, or the form will be rejected.**


	3. Prelude to Endurance

**Here it is. It was a little hard to write, but I hope I can still manage!**

**I initially wanted ten participants for each class, but due to a lack of submissions I am reducing it to eight each now.**

* * *

_**Chapter three: Prelude to Endurance**_

Where Maria and Symphony were (that is, Main Street), a crowd of people had gathered just a block away from the colosseum. Curious; the two Trainers went over to check out the commotion.

Despite the numbers of people, Trainers or Coordinators, it was easy to tell what was going on. The thing was: a huge message had been projected on a nearby building for the public to see. The message itself stretched two storeys high.

"Figure, this should be useful," Symphony said. "A scoring system."

Maria arched her head upward to read the huge notice top to bottom.

**Pokétopia Endurance Championship Scoring System**

**Championship points are awarded according to a set criteria used by Pokétopia Authority. Participants' points will be awarded by only judges at the end of the session. At the closure of the colosseum, and after it has hosted Battle and Contest Class sessions over two days, the participants who achieve points in the top three will be recognised as podium finishes and are eligible to stand on the podium as the colosseum officially closes. In addition, should more than one participant have the same number of points at the closure, they will be recognised on the podium also, and will receive the rightful number of championship points.**

**Scoring evaluation (Battle Class):**

**Performance: 5 points**

**Efficiency: 5 points**

**Endurance: 5 points**

**Scoring evaluation (Contest Class):**

**Talent: 5 points**

**Coordination: 5 points**

**Endurance: 5 points**

**Notices:**

– **Battle Class Endurance points are evaluated up to 24 points at Courtyard Colosseum**

– **Battle Class Efficiency points are evaluated up to 15 points at Neon Colosseum**

– **Contest Class Efficiency points are evaluated up to 22 points at Courtyard Colosseum**

– **Endurance points account for how long the Pokémon team of interest is able to sustain pace and how many matches the participant has endured/survived.**

– **Contest Class Talent and Coordination points are, for Pokétopia's own sense of pressure, evaluated up to 10 points each at Neon Colosseum.**

– **IMPORTANT: only the championship points, obviously, determine where the Trainer/Coordinator will end up on the championship standings. Points earned by judge's evaluations will not count toward the final outcome.**

**– ALSO IMPORTANT: Points earned by judge's evaluations on the first of two sessions are counted as a separate result. Should the participant complete a second session, the points earned by evaluation are counted as also a separate result. Consequently, the organizing committee and Pokétopia Authority will choose the better result to count as the final outcome.**

**Regular Championship points (except for Courtyard and Neon Colosseums)**

**1****st**** – 10 points**

**2****nd**** – 8 points**

**3****rd**** – 6 points**

**4****th**** – 5 points**

**5****th**** – 4 points**

**6****th**** – 3 points**

**7****th**** – 2 points**

**8****th**** – 1 point**

**Courtyard Colosseum points / Neon Colosseum points (respectively)**

**1****st**** – 14 points/12 points**

**2****nd**** – 12 points/10 points**

**3****rd**** – 10 points/8 points**

**4****th**** – 9 points/7 points**

**5****th**** – 8 points/6 points**

**6****th**** – 7 points/5 points**

**7****th**** – 6 points/4 points**

**8****th**** – 5 points/3 points**

"Yeah, it looks straightforward enough," Symphony commented, and then she looked at the clock for time, despite having a watch already. "Oh, I've got to go in ten minutes."

But they were near the colosseum anyway. Main Street Colosseum: a battling ground situated in a plaza with a humongous balloon watching it in the form of a Pachirisu and another in the shape of a Bidoof. Since the colosseum itself was high, it was only possible to view the battle from the high ground (that is, tourist balconies).

The two Trainers walked further into the plaza overshadowed by tall buildings. Of course, the only thing that made the area feel different was that the colosseum had been closed off. Other than that, Main Street Colosseum was quiet.

"Well, we're at the colosseum now," Symphony said. "Say, Maria, is there another reason why you've come here? I'm guessing it's not just because you're sightseeing."

Maria shrugged. "I have a meeting with Pokétopia judges to discuss tomorrow's Contest Class session. Plus, we had to get away from those reporters, you know."

"Well, my step-family's place isn't far from here," Symphony grinned and turned onto another street. "It's arguably right next to the colosseum, give or take a city block. Speaking of, where in Pokétopia do you live?"

The double Pokétopia champ paused, but softened her expression after. "At Sunset Village. I live with my cousin there whenever Pokétopia hosts something special."

Symphony began to head for one of the apartment buildings on the nearby street as Maria went for the security checkpoint at the colosseum. Where Symphony would be entering the apartment buildings via elevator, Maria would be first handing her Battle Pass to the guard before heading to a separate elevator under the colosseum.

But at the last second Maria casually tapped Symphony's shoulder.

"Before I go, I was just wondering…" she began. "Since Trainers and Coordinators come from all over the world to battle or watch here, where's your hometown?"

Now it was Symphony's turn to pause and relax. "I'm from Goldenrod City."

Maria smiled. "You know, I thought you would have been. I've heard lots of talented Trainers come from there."

"Then, where are _you_ from? Judging by how you're speaking, I'm guessing you're not from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, or even Sinnoh," Symphony said.

"I'm from the City of LaRousse. You might have heard of it, or not, but there're only a handful of skilled Trainers from a place like that," Maria said. "LaRousse is literally across the ocean from Goldenrod City. But yeah… you could say I'm technically from Hoenn, but in a much more northern part of the region."

It was amusing for the blue-eyed Trainer to see that her friend's jaw had dropped slightly.

"LaRousse!" Symphony shouted in a moderate tone. "And you said that only a handful of skilled Trainers come from there. Are you kidding me?"

Maria snuck an innocent smile. "Okay, I was only being modest. We have a Battle Tower there, and to be more exact there're only an elite number of Trainers there. I'm not the greatest Trainer to come from LaRousse, but I guess –"

"Yet," Symphony interrupted, "you're a double Pokétopia champion. Lest we forget about your Masters Class…"

Silence.

It was ironic that it was _literally_ quiet at Main Street Colosseum.

"I was only trying to be modest again," Maria finally said, and then she turned to the elevator. Symphony smiled and shook her head.

They both had schedules to keep, so it was definitely time to go. After they exchanged friendly good-byes, they went on their way. Maria approached the security checkpoint and handed her Sunset Colosseum Battle Pass for clearance before using the elevator to enter the colosseum above. Indeed, it was built inside and under the battleground.

In a matter of ten minutes from when she first arrived, Maria met with the organizing committee for the Endurance Championship, Pokétopia Authority, and the Main Street Colosseum Leader.

"Unacceptable, Maria! You're a minute late! Come on! The meeting's starting!" one of the two Pokétopia Authority representatives shook his head. Come to that, it was in shame. Maria, in response, bowed her head slightly.

"Cut her some slack, man!" the other rep said. "She's only 12!"

Maria took her seat, and the committee began a short briefing.

"Now, as I was saying," the committee leader said, "as a judge for Contest Class or Battle Class you will be assigned a specific… discipline to evaluate as the session proceeds. Here on in, you will stick with this role until the end of the championship season."

Maria began to worry she was going to get bored. Quickly.

* * *

A very cold breeze had rushed through Main Street as Symphony made her way back to her place (that is, her step-family's spacious apartment). It was cold, and Symphony couldn't wait to go indoors for a few minutes. It was sunny, so why did it have to be cold and windy so suddenly?

People were starting to put on coats or jackets to shield themselves from the wind. Symphony, who already wore a black jacket to begin with, had no need to put one on. But it was still a cold breeze nonetheless.

Surprisingly, she could see only a handful of people out there who _did not_ wear coats or jackets, let alone a sweater. For example, she could see two boys, and 11-year old and a 16-year old, chatting away. As Symphony passed them, she was amused to see they were both wearing t-shirts and jeans.

The 11-year old looked like he was struggling to withstand the cold breeze as he talked.

The 16-year old, however, appeared perfectly normal, as if the cold was something to embrace.

"Colette, it's cold, don't you think?" Symphony said to her trusted Minchinno.

The chinchilla-like Pokémon couldn't agree more.

With black boots hitting against the pavement, and the wind blowing against her locks and ponytail, Symphony quickly walked to the entrance of her step-family's apartment. Modern as the building may be, Symphony liked it better now it was warm. Not that she couldn't handle the cold, she could manage that, it's just that it was better overall to be indoors!

* * *

"Look, can't we go in now? Get a hot drink at the café or something?" the 11-year old, namely Colin, said to the 16-year old in shivers.

"It is _fine…_" the 16-year old Connor replied.

The fact that Colin was from Goldenrod City and Connor was from Snowpoint City didn't help. Connor, who had adapted into the cold too well, could've worn shorts in place of jeans if he wanted, but out of respect for the public he didn't.

"Besides, the café is unusually busy today," he added.

Although there were blue skies and sunshine flooding above Pokétopia, there were also a considerable number of white clouds to go with it. With the amount of wind blowing, the clouds had effectively blocked out much of the sun and its warmth; sending a chill over the Pokétopia metropolis.

It was hard to believe it was still morning… approaching midday, and for midday: it was cold!

While Trainers, Coordinators, tourists, fans, and pretty much every visitor to Pokétopia were enjoying what the resort had to offer for the day, Pokétopia Authority and the organisers were concentrating their efforts preparing to open the colosseums. Joe, the Gateway Colosseum Master in his suit, and Taylor, the Main Street Colosseum Leader wearing her Pachirisu-themed costume, were present at the meeting also.

"Let's recap," the Pokétopia Authority rep said. "Each Colosseum Leader of Master will be responsible for opening and closing their respective colosseum. Also, I needn't remind you that the disciplines for evaluating a session have been allotted, and that the scores are listed when the session ends only. In case you forget, you are welcome to watch replays of the match to ramp your decision."

Here at the meeting, the committee and the Colosseum Leaders and Masters were sitting in rows and watching the Pokétopia Authority rep presenting the plans via projection.

"Rosie will be spearheading this season's Contest Class judging the Talent category, special guest Maria Lougheed will evaluate Efficiency, and Joe will test Endurance. As for Battle Class, the Pokétopia executive and Stargazer Colosseum Master Mysterial will be the driving force behind judging: he will judge Performance, and the rest will be covered by us at the Authority. At the end of a session, Rosie and Mysterial will announce the podium finishes at the colosseum's closure. So, I suggest you all sleep early tonight. Endurance is something no one, including ourselves, should underestimate."

They watched the rep pace from side to side. To make his point, the projection showed how the judging categories were allotted with names. Additionally, there were portraits beside the names.

"Basically, when you have finished judging, upload the scores onto the standings, since each of you will be given a computer to judge anyway."

For Maria, and for being only 12-years old, this was exhausting to even listen to this. Yes, she knew it was important, but listening for over an hour was pushing it. It was a good thing the meeting was closing.

* * *

"_Fireworks will be presented at Gateway Colosseum tonight to celebrate the opening of the Pokétopia Endurance Championship_," the broadcast said. "_Don't miss it. It's worth it!_"

Leon Pinetree looked at the clock to see that it was only afternoon. Yet, it felt more like it was approaching twilight if anything else. As much as he'd like to head outside, he couldn't. Not when Maria hadn't come back. Maybe he ought to accompany her to the fireworks show.

He helped himself to a glass of water and decided to walk around Sunset Village instead. What was the harm walking away from the house for a few minutes?

But by the time Leon had time to put on his 'cool' white hat with a silver trim and went to the door, he found Maria waiting outside.

"Finished with your meeting, Maria? How'd it go?"

Maria forced a humourless smile. "It was tiring. I'm thinking of sleeping early tonight, so… that's why I'm back right now."

But Leon had other plans. "No way, Maria. You can't miss the fireworks show and the opening celebration. Sure, we had the ceremony this morning, but still."

He watched his little cousin take a Poké Ball out of her bag and threw it.

"Fine… but Gardevoir gets to come."

Already Leon had locked the door and began to walk to the PTR station still smiling. "Whatever you say, Maria. Whatever you say."

He knew Maria would be annoyed at the answer.

* * *

Like the opening ceremony from the morning earlier, celebrations were apparent at Gateway Colosseum once more. This time, however, it was night and the backdrop of Pokétopia at night proved to be exceedingly moving. Literally, the metropolis was reflected on the water and added to the sense of celebration.

Maria and Leon were standing together at one of the four colosseum stands alongside at least a hundred others. For all they knew, it might have been a thousand.

"You have to admit, there are a lot of pretty girls in Pokétopia this season," Maria nudged her cousin's side. "I'm surprised you haven't dated yet, Leon!"

Leon bluntly dropped a fist on top of Maria's head. "Behave!"

"Ow..." but she smiled anyway, despite the small whiff of pain on her head (thus, she had to massage it with a hand). Sometimes, or many times, it was fun to poke at Leon's romantic life, and especially when he never had one.

At the centre of the colosseum, the Colosseum Master (Joe) and Mysterial (the executive) stood there with headsets on their ears as they prepared for the show.

Numerous photos were shot with flash as TV broadcasters recorded the occasion. News and media with permission from Pokétopia Authority continued their coverage of the opening celebration in addition to their broadcast of the Endurance Championship.

Tension only rose in every section of Gateway Colosseum except in the middle, where Joe and Mysterial were standing and taking in the atmosphere around them. Joe cleared his throat, and the entire colosseum fell quiet.

"To everyone in this celebration, whether you're watching now or listening to a broadcast!" Joe shouted. "I'd like to welcome you to the Pokétopia Endurance Championship!"

Almost instantly after he shouted "championship", red fireworks from all around Gateway Colosseum simultaneously rocketed upward to the night sky, and beautifully decorated Pokétopia's skyline and painted sparks on the pitch-black ocean waters.

More and more fireworks of every shape and colour followed. Why, there were even fireworks bursting in the air in the shapes of Pokémon! Cheers echoed through the sky from spectators everywhere. Whether they were in Gateway Colosseum at the moment, resting comfortably in a Pokétopia hotel, gathering at Main Street to watch the celebration on an enormous TV screen, or simply standing at the waterfront to watch the fireworks; everyone had a reason to celebrate.

The Pokétopia Endurance Championship had officially begun.

* * *

**There is literally one spot out of ten left in the Battle Class entry list but there're still THREE spots left in the Contest Class entry list! Anyway, in order this story to continue, both entry lists have to be full, or I will DISCONTINUE this story. PM me your OC! If there're too many submissions, please trust me to be flexible and I'll give them honourable mention anyway.**

**Please see the OC form in chapter 2.**

**Remember: I'm accepting by PM only and never by review. If you don't have a FF account, though, feel free to review to submit.**


	4. Dark and Early for Spicy Food

**It's getting really hard to write for me lately. So much homework... and I have a writer's block.**

**I'm still trying to write this story too, and...**

**I still don't have a full entry list!**

**The OCs are the property of their respective owners.**

* * *

_**Chapter four: Dark and Early for Spicy Food**_

"Up and at 'em! It's morning!"

Dark and early as it may seem, the streets of Pokétopia were just bright enough to see just about anything in the city. Street lights were still on, and the sun hadn't risen over the ocean yet. The skies, however, were foreshadowing the coming of a bright day.

"_Please…_" said the muffled voice from under the covers. "_Let me sleep._"

"It's better to be up and early than later! The Contest Class session will start in around three hours! Come on, man!"

Connor DuPont jumped out of his bed immediately and began to dress up. Regular-sized jeans and a light blue polo shirt made up most of his appearance, if not counting a pair of typical black sneakers. Indeed, as he dressed in the Pokétopia suite, he couldn't help but remark how _modern_ Pokétopia managed to keep this place.

"Breakfast is served downstairs," his cousin reminded him. "You might as well have it on the go. Grab something on the way out, yeah?"

Connor began packing his things into his navy backpack, including his five Pokémon, and a bottle of fresh water. Additionally, he also opted to wear a pair of glasses too.

Last but not least Connor grabbed his Light Pastel Battle Pass on the way out.

While he waited on the elevator to arrive, he realised he wasn't the only one who chose to get up early and down. Another boy arrived to wait at the elevator.

"Good morning," the boy said.

As shy as he could be, Connor didn't show it. His dark brown eyes shifted to see the boy more clearly. In Connor's opinion, this boy who seemed younger than Connor by several years had an unappealing appearance.

Consider this: a black t-shirt, black_ combat_ pants, black _combat_ boots, a black bag, a black vest with blue-and-orange checker pattern made up this boy's apparel. Never mind the silver belt, the diamond piercings, the blue scarf, the orange tie, or the sunglasses over his black-and-blue-and-orange city hat. Or even the shiny Pokétopia Gold Battle Pass in his hand. Or the platinum blond hair.

Or even the unnatural colour of the eyes: a purple one and a red one.

Talk about unappealing! Connor subsequently kept quiet.

"Hey," the boy said, and for once Connor actually noticed that the voice was polite, to say the least. "Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing at all," Connor replied.

The boy seemed unconvinced, but extended a hand. "My name's Evangelina, or Eva for short."

In that moment, Connor tried to hold back a small laugh. Although he succeeded in holding it, the thing was that Eva could tell he tried.

"What's so funny?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know," the dark brown-eyed boy answered. "It's just that… don't you think that your name sounds – no offense – feminine?!"

The elevator doors sounded to signal the arrival of – well – the elevator. Before Eva had a chance to reply, they had to get into the elevator first. He went in, and Connor followed.

"Blame my family," Eva said. "It's sort of a tradition we've had for decades and they would always name their third child Evangelina no matter what the circumstance."

It was a fast and silent trip on the way down, but Eva knew that Connor must be laughing inside. Still, Eva would have to get used to that. Hadn't he already had similar experiences back home at Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh?

"I'm not laughing. Seriously," Connor tried to make up for some humour.

The two boys walked out of the elevator to the residence suite lobby. Already, they could smell the delicious aroma of a hearty breakfast not too far from the 12 and 16 year olds. Casually, they walked over there to have breakfast.

It was fortunate that it was dark and early in the morning. Although there were plenty of people in the kitchens working away and staff cleaning the tables and floors, there were next-to-no people sitting at the tables. The dining hall was virtually empty.

"Morning, Colin!" Connor waved to the 11-year old boy sitting alone at a distant table. "Mind if we join you?"

"You don't have to shout across the room, yo!" Colin called back. "I can hear you just fine!"

Eva scoffed. "I guess we can safely say that's a yes."

As usual, Colin was wearing his regular green t-shirt with a Poké Ball and jeans.

They politely took seats at Colin's table, and already Connor and Eva began to feel hungry. Judging by the cup of juice, a plate with croissants and fruit, it was no wonder that Connor immediately got up and went to help himself.

"Eva, this is Colin," Connor gestured. "Colin, this is Eva."

"You guys are up early," the 11-year old shook hands with Eva. "What did you say your name was?"

"Evangelina," Eva said. "Or Eva, if you'd like."

Eva was dead certain that Colin had tried to laugh, but there was no reaction.

Yet, the moment was broken by Connor, who didn't take long picking out foods before returning with a plate of waffles on a tray and a coffee. The food was set down on the table shortly after.

"Breakfast is served," Connor said, and began to pick up his fork and eat.

Eva and Colin watched him eat, and then Eva got up.

"I think I'll get some food too," he said, and then he left.

After that, Colin and Connor turned to their meals in near silence, and they continued to eat.

"What are your plans now?" Connor asked. "The Battle Class session doesn't start until somewhere around midday. I'm in Contest Class, but still…"

Colin put down his fork briefly, and picked it up again. "I thought I'd take some time exploring Pokétopia while it's early. Since I have lots of time, I thought it'd be nice to see what the resort has to offer. I might even check out the islands around here, and maybe drop by Main Street to watch the competition too."

He speared a kiwi slice and put it in his mouth.

Knowing there wasn't much to say, and also knowing that his breakfast would get cold soon, Connor also continued to eat. From the looks of it, it looked like a regular breakfast morning. They would bite, chew, swallow, and maybe have a sip of their drinks.

"Dark and early in the morning, and what better way to start the day with spice!" Eva proudly stated, with an evident tone of satire.

An aroma of spicy tomato sauce wafted through the air. It was strong. It was spicy. It, from a fair distance, could reach the noses of Colin and Connor from twenty paces away.

_It definitely smells spicy_, Colin thought. _Maybe I ought to get some too._

By then, one or two more Trainers showed up in the dining hall for breakfast. For Colin, he had just finished his.

* * *

Meanwhile at Sunset Village, where it was much darker since it was on the western part of Pokétopia, Maria Lougheed woke up with the sensation of tears. She was crying, but for no reason at all! She was sniffling, and crying. Tears slid down her cheek and soaked into the pillow.

But she knew exactly why.

"Argh! Leon!" Maria jumped out of bed and stormed downstairs to the hardwood flooring of the kitchen. As Maria ran downstairs, she was literally in tears as she walked down the stairs, and the closer she got to the kitchen, the harder she cried. It didn't help that once she got there, Leon was standing before a very bad mess: a spicy red puddle had splattered on the floor.

"Ah, sorry, Maria," Leon grinned. "I seem to have accidentally broken a huge bottle of boiling spicy sauce as I was making breakfast. Would you mind cleaning it up?"

The question was rhetorical, because Leon knew that Maria always cried when she was in the presence of any spicy food. Mild spicy was at the limit where she couldn't cry, and anything spicier would send Maria in tears.

No wonder –Leon knew – Maria didn't like cayenne pepper in her omelette.

"Waah…!" Maria seized the tissue box from the countertop and walked away to the outside balcony. As quickly as she could, she grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears away, but more came to replace them. Tissue after tissue replaced the ones she had used.

Leon soaked a massive hand towel and began to clean up the floor. Additionally, he sent out his Octillery to make the cleanup process faster.

"If we don't get this place cleaned up, Maria won't be having breakfast," Leon said. His Pokémon nodded approvingly and began to spray bursts of water on the floor. Leon, meanwhile, went to find a mop, and possibly some soap.

Meanwhile, Maria was standing outside wiping her tears and blowing her nose with tissues. Already, she started to stop crying, but the spicy scent still lingered around. For her, it was unbearable, but at the very least she'd be doing herself a favour by venting out the horrid spicy smell.

She sniffed. She coughed. She rubbed her eyes with tissues. Eventually, Maria could tell that the spicy smell had dispersed, but she was still sniffling.

"It's okay!" Leon called out. "Maria, you can come back in now! Octillery and I have cleaned up the mess! You wouldn't want to miss breakfast, would you?"

The thing was, when Maria walked back in she could still smell the strong spicy scent lingering in the air. Silently, she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Now, don't cry on me now," Leon warned. "You've got a box of tissues still in your hands."

Reluctantly, Maria grabbed a mop and began to clean up the mess too. She knew they had to be quick, since Leon was participating in the Contest Class session and Maria would be on the judging committee.

But by the time the two cousins were having breakfast – eating a bowl of simple tomato-and-bean chili with chickpeas – Maria dropped her spoon and began to cry again. Runny nose first, then tears, and finally hiccups from the Master Senior.

"Leon! What did you put in here?!" Maria said. Her voice caught between whining and choking. The _tears_ streamed down her face and started to drip off her jaw and splashing on her Pokétopia dress.

"It's only chipotle," Leon raised his hands in defence. "Okay, maybe not. It sure tastes nice, but I thought adding a healthy concentrated shot of sun-ripened chili powder – and a fragment of a Spelon Berry – was the best way to spice up your life. You need zest!"

"You're mean! Mean! Mean! Mean!" Maria cried.

Leon grinned. But still, he got of his seat to reach the fridge and took out a large bottle of Aloe Vera water. As slowly as he could, just for Maria, he poured out a glass for her.

* * *

There is a building near the front of the metropolis strongly resembling a Magnezone. It is here where all technical data gathered in Pokétopia is stored – including battle highlights and live broadcasts of Pokémon competitions. It is also here where Pokétopia Authority chooses what to present to the public.

"Here is the unofficial entry list for the PEC," the Pokétopia Authority rep handed over a data table to a technician. "Be sure to display it to the public at the crack of dawn."

"But it's already dawn!" the technician joked. "Alright, I'll get it uploaded."

Soon enough, the data was uploaded onto the technical mainframe and – at the huge broadcasting screen in Main Street – the names were displayed for everyone to see.

**Pokétopia Endurance Championship Unofficial Entry List**

**Battle Class**

**Rhianne 'Anne' Barrestein**

**Joshua Capewell**

**Colin Coakley**

**Maria Lougheed**

**Symphony Moore**

**Aiden Quinn**

**Lucas Vermont**

**(pending…)**

**Contest Class**

**Connor DuPont**

**Evangelina 'Eva' Hawkelizer**

**Veronica Holmquist**

**Leon Pinetree**

**Honey 'Celestia' Starr**

**(pending…)**

**(pending…)**

**(pending…)**

Symphony Moore stood outside the front doors of the Pokétopia main office in her purple minidress and gray picnic shorts. Oddly, for a dark and early morning, she was eating a light blue-coloured bar of sea-salt ice cream.

She wasn't bound to appear for the Battle Class session at Main Street Colosseum yet, nor was she ready for the session at Gateway Colosseum yet. But, Symphony didn't want to spend her entire morning at home either.

Or her Minccino, Colette, who was walking beside her.

In one hand she bit off small chunks of the sea-salt ice cream on a stick, and in the other hand she looked at her Battle Pass: a radiant Pearl Wave design with her portrait and her team of six Pokémon.

In the dim Main Street, a busy day was foreshadowed by the very faint whistling of the PTR rail lines and the dimming lights of the showcase Pokétopia buildings. Incredibly, Symphony seemed to notice for the first time, there was also an HSBC branch (Hoenn and Sinnoh Banking Corporation) located on the ground floor near the Pokétopia main office.

_I wonder…_, Symphony thought.

Generally, to get around Pokétopia whether by PTR, flight, or marine travel, there was always a small fee to pay to accommodate costs which would likely explain the need for the HSBC bank. However, aside from paying separately for meals and entertainment, there was also a small admission fee of 100 Pokedollars to watch the events live – with some exceptions.

Symphony wondered if she, a participant in the Endurance Championship, could be allowed free entry to watch the Contest Class events as well. With her Pearl Wave Battle Pass in her hand, Symphony knew well enough that it specified her ID number and her home region.

But there was a new description she hadn't seen before, and she was pleasantly surprised.

**Entrants in an ongoing event or championship sanctioned by Pokétopia Authority, or a previous participant in a recent Pokétopia Championship season, are guaranteed complimentary admissions to that respective championship as specified by the current status below.**

**CURRENT STATUS: the bearer of this Battle Pass is granted complimentary guest admissions to events in the Pokétopia Endurance Championship.**

**Authorised/Authorized by Pokétopia Authority**

Symphony sat down on a Main Street park bench and continued to eat her ice cream. As she enjoyed her treat, her Miniccino's ears perked.

"What is it, Colette?"

But right after she said this, she smelled a very delicious aroma coming from a short distance away. She looked to her right, and could see a comfortable-looking bistro a block away from where she was.

It was the smell of a spicy dish on a grill. Even though there was only one person who had come to eat, the certain dish he was having had a strong dish.

Fortunately, Symphony had a breakfast to begin with, and had no craving for spicy food… yet. Nevertheless, the food smelled nice. Besides, she still had a bar of sea-salt ice cream to finish.

Now she had a few moments sitting alone, Symphony noticed that Main Street was as brilliant in the early morning as it was in daytime or at night. It was quiet, barely busy, and asleep. It wouldn't be long before it would be busy again at around noon.

_But honestly, that spicy dish sure smells nice!_ Symphony thought.

Nevertheless, Colette appeared hungry and seemingly _begging_ for a taste of a spicy dish. Symphony eventually gave in to Colette's pleas and walked to the bistro. They walked across a still empty Main Street and approached the eating place.

Minutes later, Symphony and Colette walked out of the bistro each holding two kebabs. No surprise that these kebabs were laced with spices, herbs, and an unreasonably spicy pepper the bistro claimed could cause burning sensations to the hands if not consumed properly. But, Symphony figured as she ate it with small bites, how bad could it be? She had eaten many kinds of spicy food before.

Within the minute, Symphony was running around Main Street in panic; looking for anywhere that sold bars of sea-salt ice cream.

* * *

**Note: "Pending..." on the entry list above means I need that amount of OCs to continue this story! Please PM them to me!**


	5. The Way to Start a Day

**You don't _know_ how hard it is to integrate a whole bunch of OCs into a storyline until you've tried to write one yourself, which would explain why I'm taking so long. Still, here is a finished chapter... at last!**

**Honourable mentions for making the story's progress possible: thesecretkeeper11, Snowsheba, LeafyLucario64, thegreatest777, reven228, SDproductions, TissueMonster, APHLync13, and seth98.**

**Special thanks to: thesecretkeeper11 for being the inspiration of writing this story.**

* * *

_**Chapter five: The Way to Start a Day**_

Across the volcanic island sheltering Magma Colosseum, east of the Pokétopia main island, was a series of smaller islands. These small tropical islands in particular sheltered a very soothing residential bloc complete with numerous sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. Lush, green, miniature mountains popped out of the shallow waters like they were huge green land masses. Indeed, they made up a good part of the tropical islands here.

Much earlier when Pokétopia Authority decided to expand their borders away from the main island and searching in other places, they came across these islands along with the huge volcanic island. Within two years, Pokétopia Authority had commissioned the development of two large-scale projects. For the volcanic island, they would construct a suspended colosseum deep inside the volcano. The colosseum would be suspended by chains alone over live, dangerous, lava whilst taking safety into concern. It was not easy. Since then, Pokétopia Authority had kept the lava controlled and severely regulated – and the responsibility fell upon the Colosseum's young leader Terrell.

The second project was to construct a very remote, private resort on the smaller islands. Much more peaceful and cooler than its volcano counterpart, Pokétopia ordered a small wood-and-stone colosseum to be built on a huge sandbar – spot in the flowing space between many more islands. Soothing ocean water flowed around the colosseum.

Hence, the Lagoon Colosseum became a highly successful destination for Pokétopia privateers and veterans looking for a more peaceful sense of recreational battling. Not like the high-end competition found at the ten main Colosseums. Better yet, at least half of Pokétopia visitors weren't aware of its presence, thanks to the Lagoon Colosseum's reputation of keeping quiet.

It is not possible to access the Lagoon Colosseum by foot or by rail. Ferry was the only option. Taking a Buizel ferry or a Mantyke ferry from Pokétopia became the way to go, and soon Pokétopia had a popular low-profit business with ferry rides. PTR wouldn't _dare_ to build a rail bridging Pokétopia to the lagoon, let alone a rail to Magma Colosseum. It would be expensive, and it would damage the oceanic environmental waters.

When the Lagoon Colosseum started to become better known by 'quiet' visitors, Pokétopia Authority began a project to build three-storey condominiums near the Lagoon Colosseum. Investors were attracted to this project and supported the construction efforts with money, ideas, and plans. The biggest investor, Colosseum Master Kruger, supported the project financially and professionally until completion. In the end, the Lagoon Resort became a vacationing spot with homes, resort beaches, and open grill restaurants.

Of course, Pokétopia Authority offered rooms at the Lagoon Resort for championship participants who were interested.

Indeed, the Lagoon Resort offered a rewarding view of a sunrise over the ocean waters. Arguably, some said that the Lagoon Resort had the best view of the sunlight in all of Pokétopia. (However, Sunset Village, where Maria Lougheed privately lived, had an equally rivalling view of the sunset!)

Nevertheless, Lagoon Resort was deliberately made to be small as well.

For 17-year old Aidan Quinn, the expression 'quiet' seemed to fit him best with the Lagoon Resort. He didn't hesitate once the offer showed up on his doorstep. In a week preceding the Pokétopia Endurance Championship, he had brought his luggage with him from Main Street to Crystal Colosseum via PTR, and then took a Buizel ferry to the Lagoon Resort.

While Aidan belonged to the Battle Class, he just didn't want to miss out on the championship opener at Main Street.

So, Aidan left his condo and began to head for the ferry terminal. Along the way, he brought his white messenger bag. The bag in question had a hand-embroidered picture of his Pokémon team. For this Trainer, he treasured the bag like the Pokémon on it.

"Rotisserie pineapples!" a voice shouted from behind. "Yo, Aidan! Care for a bite?"

"I'm good, thank you," Aidan replied to the 18-year old. "Go and help yourself. Besides, Lucas, you wouldn't want to miss out on the championship opener, would you?"

Lucas Vermont rolled his eyes, but went on eating his pineapple. For a place such as the Lagoon Resort, Aidan found it peculiar that Lucas always wore that blue coat around, let alone having gold epaulettes on the shoulders, and blue dress pants. Well, at least a white t-shirt was clearly visible as well. To Lucas' credit, there was a considerable ocean breeze flowing through the lagoon.

Aidan continued to walk through the Lagoon Resort for the ferry terminal – but stopped when he smelled the wafting aroma of barbequed pineapple.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want any?" Lucas said, as he tauntingly waved the stick of pineapple slices under Aidan's nose.

His metallic steel blue eyes darted to the rotisserie pineapple stand, and then back to the brown-eyed Trainer who was still holding the stick of fuming pineapple from below.

Now it was Aidan's turn to roll his eyes. "You've won me over," he said, and then went to purchase some roasted pineapples. Usually, Aidan was quite agreeable, but he had no appetite for pineapples that morning. Nevertheless, the way Lucas was talking about it started a craving.

Minutes later, the two boys were eating pineapples on the way to the ferry terminal, and Aidan had to admit – the pineapples were delicious.

Wooden bridges linked the many islands in the Lagoon Resort. Of course, the condos were positioned high enough above sea level so the tide could only cover much of the sandy beaches, but never enough to fill up the resort. As for the Lagoon Colosseum, the tide could barely cover all of it.

Anyway, Aidan and Lucas made their way to the terminal at last. After flashing their Battle Passes (Stream Green and Pokétopia Gold, respectively) to the Pokétopia Authority officer, they boarded one of the trademark ferries in the shape of Buizels.

* * *

On board, they sat beside each other watching the main island of Pokétopia gradually getting closer and closer in sight. Although they didn't show it, Aidan and Lucas were equally excited to watch the championship opener.

Nothing special happened on the way to Pokétopia.

At least until they were silently approached by a girl about their age (for those who care – she's 17 like Aidan). She wore a neutral, blunt, expression that told the two boys hardly the wiser. Let alone the pale brown and straight hair that fell to her shoulders.

"Anyone sitting here?" she asked shortly.

"…" Aidan didn't say anything at first. "No, not at all."

"Good," the girl sat down, looked out the window, and said nothing more.

Lucas looked at Aidan first, who flashed a smile, and looked back at the girl. Indeed, she continued to look at the ocean waters, and she radiated a cold aura, whereas Lucas radiated a friendly aura.

For this reason he took the approach.

"Well…" Lucas extended a hand to the girl, "my name's Lucas."

For once in her life, the girl actually smiled somehow. Even though it was a humourless smile.

"No need to shake hands," the girl said. "My name is Veronica. Veronica Holmquist."

_At least she responds_, Aidan thought.

"My name's Aidan," he then said.

There _really_ wasn't much to say.

"Are you going to watch the championship opener?" Lucas asked.

"Who are you kidding?" she said – slightly harshly. "I'm _in_ the opener! I'm part of the Contest Class, you know!"

In short, that was enough to explain what this was all about. There was nothing more to be said.

Instead, Aidan chose a different approach.

"You didn't have to talk to Lucas like that you know," he carefully said. "Mind if I ask where you are from, Veronica?"

"One," Veronica raised her first finger. "I could talk a lot more harshly if I wanted to. Two, I'm from Orre's Pyrite City – well, it used to be a town, but I guess times have changed. Now, may I ask where you two are from?"

Lucas seemed very glad that a friendly conversation was ongoing at last. "I'm from Cerulean City. You know, the seaside city in Kanto? If you ever wondered why I chose to reside at Lagoon Resort, it's because it kind of reminds me of home."

Veronica reserved some silence, and then said in a near monotone, "Fair enough. At least for you. Where I'm from, in Pyrite City, water is a luxury to go around. You're fortunate to be living in a place like that." Then she looked at Aidan. "Whereabouts are you from?"

Aidan slightly smiled. "New Bark Town."

"A village boy from a professor's town," Veronica remarked. "Go figure. That's classic. Let me guess: since you're from a quiet lovely town like yours, that's why you live at Lagoon Resort."

The ferry continued its voyage to the main island, and from the very far distance the sight of the Crystal Colosseum ferry terminal was miniscule but at least visible. Waves splashed over each other as the clouds passively disappeared to the horizon and allowed all of the Pokétopia resort to be bathed in the sunlight's brilliance.

"How did you do that?" Aidan quietly said.

Meanwhile, Lucas was nonetheless awestruck by Veronica's keen observation skills.

"How did you do _that_?" he stared, whilst repeating the question.

"Do what?" Veronica said.

"Figuring exactly the reason I went to live at Lagoon Resort!" Aidan added.

"I didn't," Veronica answered.

Now, as they continued their journey on the Buizel ferry and approached ever closer to the ferry terminal at Crystal Colosseum, Aidan and Lucas were left to deeply think about what Veronica meant. But Veronica could only merely smile. True, half of her didn't even know the true reason behind Aidan's stay. But as it happened, Veronica could think with logic and reason quite well – but only when she was under pressure. When she wasn't under pressure, she was harsh. Somehow, her other personality seemed to have dominated for this instant.

"Mind if I ask, Veronica," Lucas casually said. "If you're from Orre, how did you get here?"

Even Aidan rolled his eyes, but Veronica instead remarked, "You're a little slow on your history, Lucas. Everyone knows that Orre built a much-needed harbour for reasons of transportation and trade. Anyway, I got to Pokétopia from there – from Gateon Port."

"I see…" Aidan and Lucas said together.

* * *

Maria Lougheed walked off the PTR train on Main Street station and began to discreetly walk towards the Colosseum. If she had more time, she would have wanted to stop by her favourite café and order a nice Pecha Berry tea. But the Contest Class session won't wait.

Her cheeks were still drying off after the outburst of tears from the morning. Still, that didn't prevent Maria from changing into her trademark Pokétopia dress and pants. Yet, it proved difficult for her as the spicy aroma wafted around her house.

Leon was not far behind.

"I'll be waiting for you outside the colosseum," he said to his little cousin as they walked closer to the Main Street plaza.

Maria shook her head. Not because she didn't agree with Leon, but because of his appearance. "You really didn't have to wear a hat and sunglasses, you know. It kind of makes you look like my agent."

Indeed, Leon Pinetree wore a metallic white big-size style hat with a black trim on top – a style one would say was 'cool' – over his metallic blue hair. Apart from that, Leon also wore a navy blue blazer with a red tie, a Poké Ball metal badge, black dress pants, and neat shoes with a shine. What Maria didn't like was that Leon wore _sunglasses_.

"That's sort of the point," Leon said. "You know how the girls are."

Maria knew all too well. Besides bugging Leon about his social problems she also knew that when Leon caught a girl's eye, things were bound to get serious. Maria thought of being quiet, but the idea of bugging Leon again was irresistible.

"Say, what if you did run into a cute girl someday?" Maria teased. "There has to be one that's caught your eye. Tell me, Leon, what would she look like? Rather, what _does_ she look like?"

Leon's face went red, and then he dropped a fist on top of Maria's head. "Behave!"

Maria, like countless times before, smirked and rubbed the spot where it hurt a bit.

It was still a little earlier, but not as earlier as before. It was dark and empty before, but now lots of people were pouring onto the streets of Pokétopia. For the time being, the Main Street Colosseum plaza was open to all members of the public, but Pokétopia Authority was going to have to seal it off once the opener started.

"Alright, I've got to go," Maria said, as she handed her Sunset Colosseum Battle Pass to the security checkpoint. "Maybe I'll see you in the stands, Leon."

"I'll be watching the competition, Maria. That I promise."

Leon tipped his hat down with one hand, waved with the other, and then walked away.

Maria, on the other hand, walked in the opposite direction to the elevator leading up.

* * *

As Leon walked through the streets of Pokétopia, through his black-framed sunglasses he could _only_ notice any girl who eyed him. To Leon, it became something of a phobia toward overly excited girls who saw him (Maria didn't count, who was always happy to see him). So he was constantly on the alert.

At some point, he bumped past a group of girls younger than him by… three years, at best.

It was then he caught their attention.

Leon Pinetree, then, had to make a run for it, because those girls were giving a foot chase.

"Leon!"

"Leon! Over here!"

"It's Leon!"

"Leon PINETREE!"

* * *

Symphony Moore stepped onto her residing Pokétopia block just in time to see an 18-year old boy dressed somewhat formally in a navy blue blazer, black dress pants, red tie, and metallic white hat run past her. He was wearing sunglasses, and he was being chased by a group of girls almost exactly Symphony's age run after the boy.

"Leon!"

"LEON!"

Symphony shook her head, though she had no idea what was going on. What was important was that the Contest Class session was going to begin very shortly. Accompanied by Colette, her Minccino, she began to walk the short distance to the Main Street Colosseum plaza.

"Time to watch a good endurance battle, Colette!"

Colette was looking forward to it.

* * *

**Notice: I still need one more OC for Contest Class and the list will be full!**

**To those whose characters haven't been introduced yet, forgive me, as I'm trying to find time to keep writing.**


End file.
